Mary Pat Mcvay Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il - Usa

Opportunity International provides sustainable financial solutions and training, to empower people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children’s futures and their communities. Opportunity is a global leader in providing a full spectrum of financial services in the poorest and most hard-to-reach areas of the developing world. Established more than 40 years ago, Opportunity is currently reaching 5 million individuals in 22 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America and Europe.Opportunity supports microfinance organizations that provide innovative financial solutions to empower people, create jobs and build vibrant communities. Core financial services include loans, savings, insurance, financial literacy training, agricultural finance, education finance, and innovative banking channels including mobile banking In partnership with microfinance organizations in 22 countries, the research and knowledge management team conducts market analysis, operations research and impact assessment. This research supports and documents quality,sustainable, high-impact innovations, at scale.

Global

At the end of 2014, I wrapped up my consulting "kiosk." I am grateful to all my clients and partners for a fruitful and educational four years. In 2014, some highlights included:*Global evaluation of VSO's Making Markets Work for the Poor program, with Social Enterprise Associates, which included an inspiring visit to Nigeria.*Proposal development in Rwanda (where I donated my appendix!) and Uganda. *Market Development Training with a vibrant group of Kenyan professionals, sponsored by the ILO and MESPT in Kenya.*A sentimental last assignment as co-facilitator of the 10th Annual Regional BDS Conference in Mombasa.This is a retrospective on my 2013 work:• Youth Economic Opportunities in Rural Areas: Facilitating a "Deep Dive" peer learning exercise and reporting on the "Spotlight on Rural Youth" for the Making Cents International annual conference.• Training materials - video production in addition to the usual manuals and presentations (IFC, on project design and management with the theme of integrated design for transformative development).• Case studies of innovations in commercial agricultural input supply (EcoVentures and FAO)• SME Business Advisor procurement system for a corporate supply chain initiative (CDC International)• Value Chain and Market Development training: in person in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and on-line I am excited to be training a group in Kenya. (ILO-ITC).• Economic Strengthening Guide - succinct, basic guide for non-specialists (Social Enterprise Associates and Save the Children)• Impact Reporting System for an SME lending facility in Kyrgystan (CapPlus Exchange / Small Business Banking Network, OXFAM and Symbiosis)• Case study of a money-transfer business in Cambodia.

Global

Developed and Managed $4.6 Million Action Research program, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationBuilt capacity of and supported innovative practitioners in urban value chain development work.Facilitated peer-to-peer learning, established working groups and websites for interactive, on-line exchange. (http:edexchange.seepnetwork.org and http:hamed.seepnetwork.org) Advanced global learning by disseminating lessons around urban enterprise development, poverty outreach, gender issues, HIV, improving urban working conditions and informal worker benefits, social networks and value chain development,and value chain finance.Conducted and supported practitioner research including photo and video documentation, on-line and in-person workshops, written documents.Organized and presented at global seminars, workshops and training.Established links between value chain development and other communities of practice, especially social enterprise. Advanced learning around the role of social enterprise in value chain development and the role of markets in social enterprise.Met and worked with a fabulous group of wise, innovative and hard-working urban practitioners!

Highlights for me during this decade of work included:The ILO "BDS Reader" - working for 7 years with Aly Miehlbradt and Jim Tanburn and literally hundreds of practitioners to track the BDS/MarketDevelopment field. You can find copies with still relevant information and cases at bdsknowledge.orgDeveloping and delivering a wide range of in-person and distance learning courses; interacting with practitioners to help them be more effective in working to end poverty. The ILO distance learning course was especially terrific. Find out more at: http://marketdev.itcilo.org/Establishing and facilitating the Market Development working group with the SEEP Network. This has now evolved to the Market Facilitation working group, facilitated by Lucho Osorio and hosted here on linkedin (MaFi)Being a witness and technical advisor to ECDI in Pakistan as they developed a flagship initiative reaching home-bound, low-income women. ECDI was one of the first programs to use a market development approach to reach such a vulnerable population - their work has high impact, is sustainable, large-scale and still growing. See a video about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FP4TEGZEgc Being on the board of Kickstart, an organization I help to found in Kenya years ago. Kickstart is a social enterprise marketing affordable irrigation equipment in Africa. They use a sustainable, larger-scae strategy to help farmers significantly increase their income.

Masters, City And Regional Planning

Activities and Societies: Thesis on helping women in Africa access improved technology

Ba, Social Science; African Studies